


What’s In A Name?

by Wolfcry22



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Apocalypse, Awkward Conversations, Castiel and Dean Winchester Need to Use Their Words, Dean Winchester Loves Pie, Fluff, Gen, Nicknames, angel - Freeform, season 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:53:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25073434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfcry22/pseuds/Wolfcry22
Summary: Cas asked Dean why he doesn’t call him by his full name. Takes place toward the middle/end of season 5 during the Apocalypse.
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester
Comments: 3
Kudos: 24





	What’s In A Name?

**Author's Note:**

> Happy 4th of July! Hope everyone is staying safe and enjoying themselves. I am not a firework and picnic fan so I am spending my time writing and watching movies. This is just a quick Drabble about Castiel asking Dean about his nickname. It was touched upon in later seasons, but I always thought it would be funny to hear Castiel ask Dean why he doesn’t use his full name since he kind of just takes in in stride. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Things had been rather quiet for the Winchester brothers. They were still finding out a way to stop the Apocalypse without saying yes to Michael and Lucifer, but they were rapidly running out of options. They had the likes of Heaven and Hell against them with only themselves, a less than fully mojoed Castiel, a paralyzed Bobby, and Crowley. It was less than the best team, yet that was the team they had available. It was going to have to do. 

Sam, Dean, Bobby, and Castiel had been pouring over the research for so long that the words in the book in front of Dean was beginning to swim in front of him. He closed his eyes, head bowed. A twinge had settled in one of his shoulders while his legs were nearly numb from sitting in the same position going on six hours. 

“I’m gonna make a pie run,” Dean announced, slamming the book closed with more force than necessary. 

Sam lifted his head slowly, his brow slightly furrowed. “Maybe bring back some actual dinner too,” he suggested dryly.

Dean struggled not to reply to his brother with a sarcastic comment. They were all under stress while hardly sleeping. Tempers were short between them all. Sam and Dean had even gotten into a fight over who took the beer closest to the back of the fridge where it was coldest. Bobby had just listened while shaking his head gravely, muttering to Castiel about how moronic the boys could be. 

“Will do, Sammy,” Dean replied as he stood, the chair scooting back, letting out a screech. He winced, turning to see Castiel standing with an almost vacant look in his eyes. He had been impacted by the Apocalypse almost more than anyone else and it was starting to show. He had been even more sullen and withdrawn than normal. “Hey, Cas, want to come with me?” 

Castiel paused for a moment to consider the offer. “I suppose I could accompany you.” 

It wasn’t the excited answer Dean had been hoping for, but with Castiel, it was going to have to do. “Alright, let’s hit the road.” 

Dean walked past him, stopping by the counter to grab the keys to the Impala. Castiel followed albeit reluctantly, his trench coat slightly billowing around him. 

They walked down the steps quickly, weaving around the cars in the junkyard. Dean twirled the keys around his fingers, throwing them up in the air before catching them expertly. “Any requests, Cas?” 

“I do not need to eat to preserve my vessel,” Castiel pointed out emotionlessly. 

Dean chuckled. “Yeah, I know that, but when we met Famine you were all about stuffing your face full of those burgers. C’mon. There’s not something that Jimmy would like?”

“Perhaps I will try this pie you are going on about,” Castiel replied.

“That’s what I’m talking about! Coming over to the dark side.” Dean came to a halt beside the Impala and pulled the door open. He climbed into the car with Castiel doing the same. 

Dean glanced over at Castiel, offering a small smile. He noticed Castiel didn’t meet his gaze as he glanced out the windshield. His hands clasped in front of him, fingers intertwining together while his thoughts seemed elsewhere.

Dean struggled not to say anything as he placed the Impala into reverse, pivoting in his seat and stretching his arm across Castiel’s headrest to look back as he rolled the car backwards. He brought them to the main dirt road off of Bobby’s secluded property. 

The drive to the nearest Gas N’ Sip wasn’t too far. Dean was used to much longer car rides, but he wasn’t used to those rides being completely silent. He thought about turning on some music, but he wasn’t sure that Castiel would appreciate the likes of Metallic at full blast. He supposed he owed the questioning angel a little bit of peace and quiet if that’s what Castiel wanted. 

After about ten minutes into the drive, Castiel broke the silence. 

“May I ask you a question, Dean,” Castiel requested through partially squinted eyes.

Dean looked at the expanse of highway in front of them. There was still ten minutes left in the journey; plenty of time for uncomfortable conversations. 

“Sure, Cas. Ask away,” Dean offered, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He and Castiel didn’t have many chick-flick moments. Castiel was usually quiet and didn’t engage much when Sam and Bobby were around. Things were different when it was just him and Dean. That was when he started to let his guard down. 

“Do you not like my name?” 

Dean’s eyes widened, heart skipping a beat. Whatever Dean had been expecting Castiel to ask, it hadn’t been that.

“Er, I mean it’s not a bad name. It’s nice, I suppose. As far as angel names go it’s not bad. It’s different than the names we have here. Does anyone actually like their name since they didn’t get to pick it out,” Dean rambled, voice growing slightly hoarse. He coughed to clear his throat, swallowing thickly. “What I mean is that you have a fine name. Why do you ask?” 

Castiel turned his head to look at Dean. His head gave a tiny tilt, lines slightly crinkling around his eyes as he squinted them, lips parted. “Then why do you not call me by my name?” 

“I do call you by your name,” Dean protested, not following what Castiel meant. 

Castiel’s brow furrowed in concentration. “You call me a variation of my name,” he argued. “Not my true.”

“You mean Castiel? Why don’t I call you Castiel,” Dean clarified nearly breaking down in laugher until he saw the serious look on Castiel’s face. “Wait, you’re serious.”

Castiel nodded slowly. “This is a very serious matter, Dean.”

“I’m not the only person not to call you by your full name. In fact, everyone but some of your angel buddies call you Cas,” Dean pointed out, pressing down on the gas a little harder in an effort to get them to the Gas N’ Sip quicker. Hopefully that would end this slightly uncomfortable discussion. 

Castiel glanced away from Dean, head pushed back into his shoulders as they began to hunch forward. “You were the first one to start it. I would like to know why. Is there something wrong with me and my name?”

“No, Cas, there’s nothing wrong with your name,” sighed Dean in exasperation. 

Castiel curled his fingers against his knee frustratedly. “Then why do you do it?”

Dean drummed his fingers against the top of the steering wheel, letting out another heavy sigh. “You know that Sam isn’t Sam’s full name, right? Same thing with Bobby.”

Castiel didn’t answer, just narrowed his eyes in scrutiny. “I do not follow.”

“Okay, look at it this way. Sam’s full name is Samuel, but I’m not sure the last time I’ve ever heard anyone say that. Bobby’s full name is Robert. He’ll shoot you dead if you call him that.” Dean shook his head of the absurdity of this conversation. “So, we use nicknames instead. We call Sam either Sam or Sammy and we called Bobby, well Bobby. Instead of Castiel I call you Cas. It’s just a nickname.” 

Castiel blinked his electric blue eyes slowly. “And that is a good thing?”

“It’s endearing, I guess is the best way to say it,” Dean explained.

Castiel nodded in understanding. “You mean it is a good thing when you shorten my name,” he clarified hopefully. 

“Yes! Exactly! It’s not that I don’t like your full name, but Cas just sounds a lot less formal than Castiel. Besides, Castiel is kind a dick. Cas I can get behind.” 

A look of agitation flashed across Castiel’s face as Dean snickered, winking quickly. “Trust me, man. It’s not a jab at you. It’s just a nickname. I wouldn’t have given you it if I didn’t like you.”

“Really?” 

“You’re my friend, Cas. Friends can give each other nicknames.” Dean paused as he tried another tactic. “Is it alright if I call you Cas?”

Castiel thought briefly. Dean suddenly wondered what he would say if Castiel refused. It wasn’t that he disliked saying Castiel’s full name, but it seemed so formal. There was no way that Dean would be overly fond of saying that every time he needed him. He only used his full name in extreme circumstances now. 

“I enjoy this nickname you have given me.” Castiel leaned back in the passenger seat and closed his eyes. “You may continue using it.” 

Now that things had been explained to him, Castiel seemed much more relaxed. His posture was less rigid and there was less stiffness in his muscles. Perhaps now the brief tension that had been between them the past few days. 

“May we go and get pie now,” Castiel requested.

Dean smiled, pulling into the parking lot in front of him. “Yeah, Cas. Let’s go get some pie.”


End file.
